CVE-2007-6111 in Wireshark
Summary
by MITRE
Multiple unspecified vulnerabilities in Wireshark (formerly Ethereal) allow remote attackers to cause a denial of service (crash) via (1) a crafted MP3 file or (2) unspecified vectors to the NCP dissector.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/31/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2007-6111 represents a critical security flaw in Wireshark, formerly known as Ethereal, a widely-used network protocol analyzer that plays a fundamental role in network troubleshooting and security monitoring. This vulnerability manifests through multiple attack vectors that can compromise the stability of the application, potentially leading to complete system outages. The discovery of these issues highlights the inherent risks associated with network analysis tools that must process potentially malicious data streams from network traffic. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of Wireshark by introducing instability that can be exploited by remote attackers without requiring authentication or elevated privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where network monitoring is critical for security operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves two distinct attack vectors that exploit different components within the Wireshark application. The first vector targets the MP3 file processing functionality, where a specially crafted MP3 file can trigger a buffer overflow or memory corruption issue within the media file parser. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-121, which encompasses buffer overflow conditions that occur when insufficient space is allocated for data storage. The second vector involves the NCP dissector, which is responsible for analyzing Network Control Protocol packets within the Point-to-Point Protocol framework. The NCP dissector vulnerability demonstrates how protocol-specific parsing logic can be manipulated to cause application crashes, representing a classic example of improper input validation that allows malicious data to disrupt normal program execution flow. Both vectors represent serious flaws in the application's defensive mechanisms against malformed data inputs.
The operational impact of CVE-2007-6111 extends beyond simple denial of service conditions, as it can severely compromise network monitoring capabilities that organizations rely upon for security incident response and network troubleshooting. When an attacker successfully exploits either vector, the Wireshark application crashes and terminates unexpectedly, potentially causing network administrators to lose critical visibility into network activity during security events. This vulnerability particularly impacts enterprise environments where network analysis tools are used continuously for monitoring network traffic and identifying potential security threats. The remote nature of the attack means that an attacker can exploit this vulnerability from any location without requiring physical access to the system, making it especially concerning for organizations that depend on Wireshark for continuous network monitoring. The vulnerability also affects the broader ATT&CK framework's T1046 technique for network service scanning and T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, as compromised network analysis tools can be leveraged to hide malicious activity or disrupt legitimate network operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2007-6111 require immediate action to address the specific vulnerabilities in the MP3 file parser and NCP dissector components. Organizations should implement immediate patch management procedures to upgrade to Wireshark versions that contain fixes for these specific vulnerabilities, as the original affected versions likely contained no built-in protections against malformed data inputs. Network administrators should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure to potential attackers, while monitoring for unusual network traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of input validation and proper memory management in network analysis tools, as these components must be robust enough to handle malformed data without crashing. Security teams should also consider implementing additional monitoring for application stability and crash reporting, as the inability to detect and respond to these crashes can lead to extended periods of reduced network visibility and increased risk of undetected security incidents. Regular security assessments of network monitoring tools are essential to identify similar vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by malicious actors, particularly in environments where these tools are critical for maintaining network security posture.